Switch-throwing mechanism.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904. A. KOLLAR an H.YOUNG.

- SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0" MODEL.

' Of'nveutow I Q91 1 11mm:

aftat ,JG, 010111 946% 5,

No. 772,718. PATENTED 007.18, 1904. A. KQLLAR & H. YOUNG. SWITCH THROWING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATIQH FILED JULY 28. 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

NO MODEL.

A UNITED STATES Patented October 18, 1904.

PATE T OFFICE.

SWITCH-TH ROWING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 772,718, dated October 18, 1904.

Application filed July 28, 1904:.

T all whom it may concern.-

Austria-Hungary, residing at Bridgeville, in

the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Switch-Throwing Mechanism, ofwhich the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has relation to switch-throwing devices, and has for its object the provision of novel means for throwing a switchtongue from the car or vehicle which travels over the track, and the invention further contemplates constructing novel means whereby after the car has passed over the switchtongue the switch-tongue Will be returned to its normal position. a l 1 Another object of this invention is to construct a switch-throwing device which will be extremely simple in construction, strong and durable, and highly efficient in operation. With the above and other objects in view reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application,

' wherein- 1 larged detail side elevation view of the same, 4

and Fig. -7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts, and the reference-nume'n als 1 1 designate the main rails, and 2 and 3 the siding-rails, the siding-rail 2 being provided with a pivoted switch-tongue 4, and the mechanism employed to actuate the switch tongue is mounted in a casing 5, that is located beneath the main tracks 1 1. The cas- Serial No. 218,502. on) modem ing extends some distance past the switclr tongue, and it is provided with a suitable 'cover 6, which is secured to the casing 5 by bolts 7 7 Secured to the cover 6 of the casing are the brackets 8 and 9, and through these brackets pass the main operating-rod 10. This rod carries upon its one end the actuator-yoke 11,-and this yoke carries a rearwardly-extending rod 12, which passes without the end of the casing and serves the functionof a guide for the longitudinal movement of the yoke in the main operating-rod, as will i be hereinafter more fully described.

The actuator-yoke has pivoted. to its top surface the actuator-pawl 14;, which is pivoted by a pin 15 to the shoulder 16, and the vertical position of the actuating-pawl is maintained by the springs 17, which pass, around the pin 16, the one end of each spring bearing upon the .top surface of the yoke 11, while theother ends thereofimpinge behind the dogs 18, carried by the actuating pawl, these dogs extendingdownwardly and having projections 19 19 formed upon their lower ends. The reference-numeral 20 designates a T-shaped lever, which is pivoted in the actuating-pawl 1 1, and the vertical position of this T-shaped lever is maintained by a spring 21. adapted to engage the shoulders 22, 22 of the dogs 19 19 and form a lock to prevent the movement of the actuating-pawl until the T.- shaped lever 20 is removed from engagement withthe shoulders 22 22, whereby if the pawl 14: is swung upon its pivot the dogs 18 18 will be permitted toswing upon an are described from the pivot of the actuating-pawl 14. Upon the bracket 8 is mounted a rearwardLY-extending stop 23, which is adapted to strike the T-shaped lever 20 and release the same from engagement with the shoulders 22 22 of the dogs 18.

Upon the operating-rod 10 is mounted a section of a rack 24, and secured to a clamp -25, carried by the operating-rod adjacent to .t-hisrack, is a spiral spring 26, the other end of which extends rearwardly to a clamp27, carried by the end of the casing through which the rod 12 passes; The reference numeral 28 designates a partition which is mounted The sides of the T-shaped lever 20 are IOC within the casing, and in this partition is pivotally mounted upon the vertical shaft 29 a segment of a gear-wheel 30, which is adapted. to mesh with the rack 24. The vertical shaft 29 carries a cam 31, which is adapted to engage a projection 32, secured to a sliding bar 33, which is mounted in the guides 34 and 35. The projection 32 has secured to it, as designated at 36, a spiral spring 37, which extends transversely of the casing and is secured to the guide 34. The sliding bar 33 is secured, as indicated at 38 and 39, to the switch-tongues 3 and 4.

In the forward end of the operating-rod 10 is pivoted a pawl 40, which is normally held out of alinement with the rod 10 by a spring 41. Pivoted, as indicated at 42, to the side of the partition 9 through which the rod 10 passes is a lever 43, and pivoted, as designated at 44, to the side of the siding-rail 2 is a trigger 45, said trigger being cut away, as indicated at 46, whereby the same may engage the lever 43.

The general operation of all the parts described is as follows: We will assume that a car is traveling in the direction of the arrow, (shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,) and it will be observed that the switch is in such a position as the car will travel upon the main rails. We will further assume that the car desires to pass onto the siding, and to thoroughly illustrate the manner of operating the switch-tongue actuator 14 we have illustrated in dotted lines of Fig. 2 a portion of the platform of a car 47, which is provided with a spring-actuated foot-lever 48, whereby when the lever is depressed by the mot-orman or manipulator of the car it will strike the actuator 14 and carry the same forward until it has reached the forward end of a slot 49, provided in the cover 6 of the casing, suitable guides 50 being provided upon each side of the slot to steady and guide the movement of the actuator 14. Upon the actuator being carried to the forward end of the slot the T-shaped lever 20 will be struck by the stop 23 and the dogs 18 18 released, whereby the actuator may assume the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to permit the footlever 48 to pass over the same. WVhen the rod 10 is carried forward with the actuator, the pawl 40, which is held out of alinement with the rod 10, will engage the partition 9, as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 3 of the drawings, the spring normally holding the same in this position. As the rod 10 travels forward, the rack 24, which meshes with the segment .of a gear-Wheel 30, rotates the same, causing the cam 31, which is mounted upon the same shaft as the gear-wheel 30, to rotate, the camsurface of this cam forcing the projection 32 outwardly, carrying with it the sliding bar 33, which has connected to it the switch-tongues 4 and 4, thus moving the switch-tongues into position for the car to pass onto the siding. \Ve will now assume that the car has passed over the switch-tongue and it is desired to return the switch-tongues to their normal position'that is, with the main track clear. As the car passes over the trigger the wheels of the car will depress the trigger, which will force downwardly upon the lever 43, and as this lever is pivoted, as designated at 42, to the partition the trigger will depress the lever and also the operating-rod 10, this depression of the rod 10 causing the pawl 40 to become depressed, as the lever 43 lies directly over said pawl, and the minute this pawl is disengaged from the partition 9 the rod 10 will be returned to its normal position by the spring 23, and the sliding bar and its appurtenant parts will be returned to the normal position by the spiral spring 37.

The trigger 45 will be located a suitable distance along the siding-tracks to permit a train of suflicient length to pass onto the siding before the same is actuated to return the switchtongucs to their normal position. .lt will be seen from the foregoing description that we have provided a novel form of switch-throwing device which may be readily actuated from the car without the motorman or operator leaving the same, and the switch -throwing device is particularly adapted to be used in street-car systems wherein a large number of switches are encountered over the lines of such systems.

.lt will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

hat we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination with a main track and a siding-track, of switch-tongues carried by said siding-track, an operating-rod mounted beneath said main track, an actuator pivoted to said rod and adapted when engaged by a foot-lever carried by the car to move said rod, means carried by said rod to move said switchtongues, means mounted adjacent to said switch-tongues to return the rod to its normal position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with the main rails and the siding-rails of a railway system, of switchtongues, means for throwing said switchtongues simultaneously, means for locking said snitch-tongues in the thrown position, and means mounted adjacent to said tongues to unlock the same, and means carried by the first-named means to return said means to its normal position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST KOLLAlt. HENRY YOUNG. itnesses:

H. G. Evans, E. 'E. Po'r'rnu. 

